Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Disposal of Chemical Agents and Munitions Stored at Pine Bluff Arsenal, Arkansas

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army

Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact

Statement for the Disposal of Chemical Agents and Munitions Stored at

Pine Bluff Arsenal, Arkansas

AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: This announces the availability of the Final Environmental

Impact Statement (FEIS) on the construction and operation of the

proposed chemical agent demilitarization facility at Pine Bluff

Arsenal, Arkansas. The proposed facility will be used to demilitarize

all stockpile chemical agents and munitions currently stored at Pine

Bluff Arsenal. The FEIS examines the potential impacts of on-site

incineration, alternative sites within the Pine Bluff Arsenal, and the

``no action'' alternative. The ``no action'' alternative is considered

to be a deferral of the demilitarization with continued storage of

agents and munitions at Pine Bluff Arsenal.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In its Record of Decision (53 FR 5816,

February 26, 1988) for the Final Programmatic Environmental Impact

Statement on the Chemical Stockpile Disposal Program (CSDP), the

Department of the Army selected on-site disposal by incineration at all

eight chemical munition storage sites within the continental United

States as the method by which it will destroy its lethal chemical

stockpile. On March 29, 1989 (54 FR 12944-45), the Department of the

Army published a Notice of Intent in the Federal Register which

provided notice that, pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act

and implementing regulations, it would prepare a draft site-specific

EIS for the Pine Bluff Arsenal. In 1995, the Department of the Army

prepared a Draft EIS to assess the site-specific health and

environmental impacts of on-site incineration of chemical agents and

munitions stored at the Pine Bluff Arsenal. A Notice of Availability

was published on June 9, 1995 (60 FR 30537), which provided notice that

the Draft EIS was available for comment. Comments from the DEIS have

been considered and responses are included in this Final EIS. After a

30-day waiting period the Army will publish a Record of Decision.

Copies of the Final EIS may be obtained by writing to the following

address: Program Manager for Chemical Demilitarization, ATTN: SFAE-CD-

ME, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland 21010-5401.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will

also publish a Notice of Availability for the Final EIS in the Federal

Register.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Above address, or Ms. Cathy Stalcup at

(410) 671-3629/2583.

Richard E. Newsome,

Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Environment, Safety and

Occupational Health) OASA (I, L&E).

[FR Doc. 96-26342 Filed 10-11-96; 8:45 a.m.]

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